The Clever Consumer’s Guide to Shopping Online

Published on: 23 November 2018 Last Updated on: 05 November 2024

Over the past decade, the way in which we shop has completely changed. More of us now shop online, buying everything from our groceries, clothes, home appliances and smartphones from online stores. Statista estimates that 2.14 billion people will shop online by 2021, a huge increase from the 1.79 billion online shoppers in 2018 and the 1.32 billion who purchased goods online in 2014.

Shopping online offers greater convenience as we can buy goods from the comfort of our couches instead of braving the cold weather to head to the shops. In some cases, there are also goods that can only be purchased online because of stock issues at physical stores, or because they just don’t sell that particular item.

However, just because shopping online is easier than buying things in-person, that doesn’t mean that you should stop doing your due diligence when it comes to selecting products to buy and where you buy from them. You still want to get the best deals and offers and the best quality products. So, to help you achieve that, read our guide to being a clever consumer when you shop online.

The Clever Consumer’s Guide to Shopping Online:

Shop Around:

When you shop online, it can be very easy to be tempted by the first offer that you see. If you see a price that suits your budget, or an offer of “free shipping,” you may feel inclined to order right away. But don’t just order immediately, instead, a file that product listing away in the back of your mind (or add it to your bookmarks) and begin to shop around.

The beauty of online shopping is that it’s incredibly easy to compare everything say you want to purchase luxury soft towel online, you can look for tips before buying. Unlike shopping in-person where you would have to call different stores on the phone or visit them in person, a quick Google search will allow you to pull up a list of retailers that sell what you’re looking for. From then, you can quickly compare the prices, the cost of shipping the product, and bonuses (e.g loyalty offers and extra rewards) in order to find the offer that suits you best.

Do Your Research:

It’s always important to do your research when shopping, but especially online. You don’t want to be stuck with a product that wasn’t as you expected, leaving you feeling disappointed. You just want to be sure that what you’re ordering will be of high quality.

The first step in doing your research is to read reviews of that retailer. If the retailer sells brand new products, what do people say about those brands online? Some retailers list customer reviews directly under the products listings, or you could search for the brand name on social media to see what people are saying in real-time (try searching for the URL if there’s nothing recent for the brand name). Doing your research when buying used or refurbished goods, such as refurbished phones and laptops will look a little bit different. You’ll need to learn what seller refurbished means and how that differs from manufacturer refurbished (and vice versa) in order to understand who has refurbished a product and how it has been tested. These terms are commonly found in product listings on online retailers (including Amazon) and so finding out more about refurbished testing processes and how technicians have been trained can be key to getting quality refurbished goods.

Double-Check the Returns Policy:

Sometimes, even when you’ve done your due diligence and have researched the retailer and have confirmed that it is trustworthy, things still go wrong. This may be due to mistakes during shipping or the manufacturing process. These things happen and they’re unfortunate and disappointing, but if a store has a good returns policy, then you don’t have to worry.

Always double-check the returns policy before buying because you’ll want to know that you’re covered in the event that anything goes wrong. Some of the stores with the best return policies include IKEA which is famous for its 365 returns policy which lets you return something for a full refund within a year if you are unsatisfied. Bath & Body Works is also a standout as it has a 100% satisfaction guarantee, offering no limit on when you can return a product. In fact, it even has a price adjustment policy, letting you get some money back if the price of the product is lowered within 14 days of your purchase.

Review the Security:

Safety is paramount when shopping online. You’re placing a significant amount of trust in an online retailer because you’re showing them personal details such as your name, your address and your credit card info. Any time you spend money, you just want to know that your personal and confidential data is protected and will not fall into the wrong hands or be used for anything other than what you’ve consented too.

Reading reviews of retailers and doing your research as mentioned above can be a useful tool in this, but you may want to get even more technical given that this is the Internet. Something you can do in that case is to check the retailer’s SSL certificate. An SSL certificate is something that confirms that a website encrypts its data and that it cannot be intercepted by any malicious actors. You’ll know if a site has SSL because you’ll see a padlocked sign next to the URL (website) in the address bar at the top of your browser. The website will also start with the phrase “https” to let you know that it’s secure.

Armed with these top online shopping tips, you will be able to find the best prices and deals from the most trusted retailers. So enjoy your shopping and all of your new products.

Read Also:

How To Save Money When Shopping Online

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How to Plan Your Holiday Shopping to Actually Enjoy It

Christmas is just around the corner and you still haven’t bought any presents, picked out the meals you are going to prepare or even haven’t decorated your home? It’s no wonder why you stress about the holiday shopping every year then if you always leave the shopping for the last day. If this is you, you’re probably wondering how some people keep a smile on their face even though the lines at the supermarket are enormous, people are generally stressed and unpleasant as your life descends into chaos. The answer is simple: planning! Holiday shopping doesn’t need to be stressful or painful. It can be a walk in the park if you know how to plan everything and make sure you’ve checked everything off your to-do list. So get an app like Blink the Bee and get ready to take notes – we’ll show you how to make the most out of your holiday shopping. Think About the Gifts First The biggest expense on any holiday shopping list are the gifts, especially if you have kids you don’t want to let down. Chances are you already know what they want for the holidays as they have been nagging you about that new toy or video game for months. Fortunately, you can find these at a lot of stores and online, just make sure to order it in time or your kids will be left empty-handed. Make a Holiday Shopping List (And Stick to It) The gifts are just the tip of the Christmas tree you need to climb as the holiday approaches. If you haven’t done your holiday shopping yet, chances are you’ve forgotten about a lot of Christmas essentials. So make sure you leave a note in your virtual online assistant so you don’t forget about any of these categories: Decorations: Get those holiday decorations for your home, both for the indoors and the outdoors. Food: Know what you will be cooking? Make sure to write down all the ingredients so you don’t forget anything. Dinner Essentials: There’s more to a family holiday dinner than the food. Make sure you don’t forget about the drinks, napkins or extra plates. Gifts: You’ve already picked out the gifts? Great! Now don’t forget to get the wrapping paper, holiday cards, and ribbons to wrap them up. Traditions: Don’t forget about advent calendars, picture books or Christmas socks. Pick a One-Stop Shop Got the list written down? Good, now it’s time to do some shopping. The best and quickest way to do this is to find a store that has everything you need in one place. Whether it’s a giant supermarket or a mall, not having to navigate through the holiday traffic jams will save a lot of time and nerves. Remember the Things You Are Likely to Forget There is nothing worse than having gone through your holiday shopping only to realize you forgot something when you come back home. Whether it’s batteries for your holiday decorations, wrapping paper or dinner napkins, make sure to write down all the items you are likely to forget on a separate list so you don’t miss anything on your first shopping run. Be Done With Shopping Once you’ve shopped for everything that was on your list, be done with it. It might be tempting to visit a shop again just in case you’ve missed something, but try to avoid the temptation and enjoy the holidays with your family without any stress of being lured into one-time deals on things you’ll never need. Read Also: The Clever Consumer’s Guide To Shopping Online How To Save Money When Shopping Online How To Select A New Shopping Center Site

8 Things To Consider When Purchasing A Water Tank Online

Choosing a water tank for your needs can be daunting. Since good quality tanks aren’t cheap, the decision must be well-considered before purchasing, especially if you’re going to shop online. When shopping around on the internet, there are various things to consider and these include the following: 1. Price One of the things you might want to consider when purchasing water tanks in online stores like The Water Tank Factory site is the price. The price of your preferred water tank must not be way beyond your budget. If possible, consider comparing the prices of every store you browse online. Using a comparison website may also come in handy for you to see which store offers the best deal and which ones must be filtered from your list of potential online vendors. 2. Size Of The Water Tank You don’t always need to settle with big water tanks. At present, water tanks are available in different colors and shapes. While the oval and round ones consume a lot of space, the slimline water tanks don’t take up much. Therefore, it depends on how much space is there in your yard or where you’ll keep the tank. Moreover, the size may also depend on what you like to do with the conserved water. It can be used for dishwashing, construction purposes, car washing, gardening, drinking, patio cleaning, or laundry. So, make sure to choose the right size of a water tank because purchasing a big tank won’t be a smart idea if your water consumption isn’t that much. 3. Use Or Purpose Of The Water Tank You should consider the usage of your water tank as well. For example, is it for commercial usage or domestic use like rainwater harvesting? If you’d like to place the tank under the ground, on the roof, or on the ground, you should keep such thoughts in mind for you to choose the right kind of water tank suited for your unique needs. 4. Durability There’s nothing more disappointing than investing in a low-quality water tank. It’s what happens, particularly when you don’t pay attention to how durable the water tank is. Since it can be hard to tell how durable it could be, check the client reviews. Many clients love talking about their experiences about a certain product, so make the most of your time reading them. 5. Material Of Construction Water tanks are available in a variety of designs and made with the use of different materials. A good water tank must be made with a material that won’t pose any health risks. Moreover, you must check the material’s strength. It must be strong enough to last for a long period of time to avoid any leakages. Some of the types of water tanks you can choose from are as follows: Bladder Tanks – While such don’t fit into your ideas of tanks, these can be perfect for under house applications or verandas. Fiberglass Tanks – Such tanks are a great option for the above-ground because they’re corrosion- and rust-proof, and can withstand high temperature. Metal Tanks – Made of coated steel or corrugated metal, such custom-made water tanks can be transported easily. Concrete Tanks – Usually, these tanks are built on-site and are best at keeping the water cool and preventing algae growth. Polyethylene Tanks – These plastic water storage tanks are durable and lightweight options, which are available in several sizes and colors. They may also be used both below and above ground, depending on your preferences. 6. Features Some modern water tanks may come with a level of sophistication to boost user experience. See to it that the container has outlet and inlet pipes, liquid level indicators, roof access manways, discharge nozzles, and so on. The manufacturer may also give you an idea of the features you may need. 7. Brand As you shop around online, you’ll find that there are many brands offering water tanks. But you have to take note that not all of them are reliable and may not be worthy enough to spend your hard-earned money on. If possible, check the reputation of the brand and if it has the quality certification to ensure that you’ll get nothing but a high-quality water tank. 8. Color You’ll see different colors of water tanks available in the market. When purchasing a water tank online, you’ll notice that a lot of colors would stand out, but it’s always a good choice to pick a neutral color. The color of the water tank must not be too light or too dark. The perfect color is deep blue as this color will let you see any impurities in the water, and it’s also less heat absorbent. It’s also much easier to clean in comparison to dark colors that won’t make any impurities visible. Conclusion It can be challenging and confusing at the same time when purchasing water tanks online because of the countless options available. But if you know what you need and you did a little research, you’ll be able to make the perfect choice that won’t give you any regrets in the long run regardless of your budget and needs. Read Also: Purchasing a Road Bike 8 Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Bed Liner for Your Truck Factors To Consider Before Purchasing An Amplifier 5 Things to Cross Check before purchasing a used iPhone

How To Buy Glasses With Vision Direct

So you are looking for new eyeglasses but don’t want to get out during this coronavirus pandemic. Well, then you don’t need to wait for the pandemic to get over because you now can have your prescription glasses delivered at your doorsteps. Whenever shopping online for glasses, you must make sure that you are getting the right lenses that can really match your requirements. When you have the best retailers available, then you don’t need to worry about anything because they will help you out in finding the best pair of glasses possible. You don’t have to be an optics expert to find the right prescription glasses. You simply need to follow a few simple steps to make it possible. Follow the guide below for ordering your prescription glasses online. First Off, Get The Prescription: The first and foremost thing you have to do is visit your eye specialist, who will help you identify your vision requirements. Your doctor will provide a proper prescription and also help you out if you have any questions about your eye care. If you want to get custom-made glasses, then the opticians can help with that as well. They can easily measure your pupillary distance and also provide you with the details which will help you find the best frames and lenses for the prescription. Prescription sunglasses are also available with credible businesses and platforms. This can allow you to always enjoy the feeling of wearing sunglasses on the beach or while driving without having to worry about the power in your eyes. Many people first have to undertake the tricky procedure of wearing contact lenses and then using zero-power sunglasses. However, with prescription sunglasses, you do not have to worry about putting the contacts at all. The Virtual Try-On Technology Provided By Vision Direct: Simply go to the online store and select your sunglasses or eyeglasses that you like after getting a proper prescription from the optician. Finding the best and suitable pair is very important, and that is where VTO (the virtual try-on tool) comes to help. With the help of such technology, you can easily try on different pairs of glasses virtually using your webcam. Get The Correct Glasses Frame: There is a huge collection of different glass frames available on the website from which you can choose the one you have in mind. You can easily order sunglasses or eyeglasses directly online. You can find many styles and affordable options here as well. The Shape Of The Frame: For bringing out your amazing features, the right shape of your eyeglasses is very important. The shape of your face is the first thing to consider for this. So before going shopping, first stand in front of a mirror and determine the shape of your face to get the best pair. The Size Of The Frame: When it really comes to selecting the correct frame of eyeglasses, you should definitely know which one will fit your face perfectly. If you get the glasses with too small or too big a frame, it could really be disproportionate to the face of yours. If you get glasses that are too narrow, it could restrict the proper blood circulation, and the too loose glasses would not be secure to your head. So make sure to get the proper measurements before ordering online. Evade Add-Ons For Keeping The Price Of The Eyeglasses Down: The anti-reflective coating, polycarbonate lens, and anti-scratch, etc., are all the add-ons that can significantly increase the cost of your prescription glasses. So decide carefully what exactly you want and at what budget. Enter The Prescription: After selecting the right frame for your new glasses, the only thing that is left for you to do is fitting them with the prescription lenses. On the site, you can easily upload such details in the system or enter them manually. No matter what eye care requirements or styles you have, you can easily find the best pair from the huge collection of brands and styles from this trusted website. They provide a warranty for twenty-four months on glasses with free shipping and the best price guarantee as well. How to Choose Glasses Based on Your Skin Tone and Hair Color When they shop for glasses, many people focus on face shape, but your skin tone and hair color are important, too. In fact, the right frames can make your glasses from a necessity to a stunning accessory to your overall look. Here’s how to make sure you’re shopping for your perfect pair. Skin Tone Step one is determining if you have a warm or cool skin tone. It really can make all the difference when it comes to picking the perfect frames. Warm Skin Tones If your skin has more of a golden/peach/yellow undertone to it, then you have a warm complexion. Earthy tones such as browns, warm tortoiseshell, gold, and olive-green work well with your skin tone and hair coloring. They will generally enhance the warmth in your skin and work well together, creating a good harmony/balance. Try to avoid anything too ‘cool’ in tone, e.g., silver or icy blue, as it can really clash with your natural complexion. Cool Skin Tones Cool skin tones have pink, red, or blue undertones. For this skin type, stick to frames in cool shades, such as black, silver, blue, purple, and gray. These colors create a sleek contrast, bringing out vibrancy in your skin. Warmer colors like gold or orange might make your skin appear washed out, so they’re best avoided. Choosing Frames Based on Hair Color Your hair color will also impact how certain frame colors will look on you. Here’s a cheat sheet by color: Blonde Hair If you have lighter hair, especially if it’s platinum or ash blonde, cooler tones like soft pastels, silver, or transparent frames will create an elegant and modern look. If your hair is golden blonde, go with warmer frames like tortoiseshell or amber that mimic the richness of your hair. Brunette Hair If you have brown hair, then you can pull off richer frame colors like brown, burgundy and other rich jewel tones that will go well with the warmth of your hair. Cool brunettes that have ash brown hair can even try black or blue frames for a great contrast. Red Hair Redheads generally have warm tones, so earthy colors like tortoiseshell, warm greens, and coppers suit their hair color really well. Cooler-tone redheads might want to stay away from overly bright or neon colors as they may be too vibrant of contrast against your cool-toned hair. Read Also: Sunglasses Suitable for Weddings

The Clever Consumer’s Guide to Shopping Online

The Clever Consumer’s Guide to Shopping Online:

Shop Around:

Do Your Research:

Double-Check the Returns Policy:

Review the Security:

Gold: Choose your Jewellery Carefully

How to Choose the Best Period Pants

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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How to Plan Your Holiday Shopping to Actually Enjoy It

8 Things To Consider When Purchasing A Water Tank Online

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The Clever Consumer’s Guide to Shopping Online

The Clever Consumer’s Guide to Shopping Online:

Shop Around:

Do Your Research:

Double-Check the Returns Policy:

Review the Security:

Share this Article

Gold: Choose your Jewellery Carefully

How to Choose the Best Period Pants

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

Leave a Reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related